Focus areas

Focus Areas

Central to our strategic plan is a set of values that guide our work and how we interact with and contribute to our learning communities.

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Sketch of houses in a cul-de-sac.

1. Connecting our Communities

1.1 Create networks and platforms that strengthen interdisciplinary partnerships and reinforce the delivery of high-quality, flexible, and experiential learning experiences across the institution

  • Organize a series of professional development opportunities that bring together multiple areas of the college, with a focus on high-quality and innovative teaching and learning practices
  • Develop a community of practice for the teaching community that promotes faculty peer-to-peer learning
  • Involve faculty as collaborators in educational development projects and initiatives and support mentorship opportunities between faculty members. (e.g., TEF project team, NIOP mentors)

1.2 Develop a comprehensive communications strategy that promotes shared learning experiences and establishes CTLI as the go-to resource for teaching, learning, and innovation resources support

  • Develop a communications framework that clearly defines CTLI’s brand, audience, channels, communication goals, and protocols
  • Maintain and promote a website dedicated to toolkits, information, and blog posts that support excellence in teaching and learning
  • Develop a badging system that allows credit and non-credit learners to display their learning achievements and share their accomplishments with others
  • Enhance the library’s ability to communicate with their learning community by creating a new web-based platform that increases access to relevant information, research tools and resources, and expertise

1.3 Increase leadership capacity within post-secondary teaching and learning networks both provincially and nationally

  • Expand and advance the impact of higher education and educational development externally through dissemination and collaboration with provincial and national networks
  • Expand the influence of Learning Services beyond the borders of Lethbridge College through enhanced services for industry and community members
  • Contribute to province-wide network of teaching and learning centres (e.g., open access week, collaboration with uLethbridge, AB CLT Slack network)
  • Expand and advance SoTL initiatives by participating in provincial, national, and international SoTL networks
  • Create a suite of open educational resources aimed at sharing knowledge about best practices in teaching and learning (e.g., microcredentials, open courses, etc.)
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2. People, Culture, and Human Potential

2.1 Develop a people-first culture that fosters equity, diversity, and inclusion

  • Contribute to the institutional EDI strategy by providing a teaching and learning perspective for the work that is being done
  • Create a bridge using enhanced services and resources to support the successful transition of new students to Lethbridge College (Set for Success, Get Ready, Academic Success modules)
  • Develop a UDL framework that advances a culture of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) throughout Lethbridge College
  • Model EDI principles in all of the programs CTLI designs and delivers
  • Provide solutions for access to learning that meet diverse student learning needs (e.g., assistive technology)
  • Review and improve Learning Services’ offerings through the design and implementation of a continual quality assurance process

2.2 Design and deliver tools, resources, and experiences that lead to learner success

  • Create a bridge using enhanced services and resources to support the successful transition of new students to Lethbridge College
  • Create tools to help learners develop competencies critical to employment success and personal development
  • Design and deliver student supports, strategies, and workshops that meet the needs of diverse students and support them in their learning (e.g., Get Ready, Set for Success, Academic Success modules)
  • Develop an improved peer tutoring model that is effective and sustainable

2.3 Provide access to high-quality learning opportunities that enable our team members to achieve their developmental goals and contribute back to their learning communities and networks in meaningful ways

  • Create a CTLI leadership team that meets regularly to develop leadership capacity
  • Implement a yearly cycle of goal setting, performance review, and reflection with all CTLI staff
  • Identify and support PD opportunities that support goals and continual growth of CTLI staff

2.4 Create an environment that fosters learning, development, and continuous growth

  • Assess and improve the learning commons and library to ensure learning spaces are accessible and versatile enough to meet the needs of all learners
  • Develop a more robust digital support model that will increase student confidence when using the learning management system and other learning technologies
  • Involve faculty members as collaborators in educational development projects and initiatives and support mentorship opportunities between faculty members. (e.g., TEF project ream, NIOP mentors)
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3. Innovation in Teaching & Learning

3.1 Enhance conditions for improving academic rigour, quality assurance in program development, and course design

  • Create and implement tools and processes to support programs in curriculum development and regular review cycles
  • Develop a comprehensive curriculum development and evaluation framework that includes clear program design protocols and standards
  • Evaluate and make necessary improvements to the course design framework to ensure design processes and support systems reflect experiential and inclusive design standards

3.2 Advance teaching excellence and expand programming for teaching development and learner support

  • Develop programming that targets new, mid-career and late-career faculty teaching competencies and ongoing development
  • Evaluate and improve the new instructor orientation program (NIOP) to improve accessibility and relevancy for all hourly and full-time instructors
  • Expand current processes, services, and employee skillsets to support students and faculty in online and blended environments
  • Offer opportunities to increase staff and faculty engagement and capacity for SoTL projects and activities
  • Offer pedagogical training opportunities for all new, mid-career and senior faculty that stretches beyond preparing faculty to use technologies to fostering and promoting pedagogical expertise and digital fluency

3.3 Promote and foster scholarly activity and evidence-based teaching and learning models and practice

  • Administer the STAR Grant SoTL program that selects and supports a number of faculty SoTL projects each year
  • Host the annual symposium on SoTL
  • Infuse SoTL principles into Educational Development programming and courses

3.4 Support meaningful innovation in our learning communities by both encouraging experimentation and removing barriers

  • Develop spaces for faculty to experiment with innovative technologies and experiential learning activities
  • Expand self-service options to improve library access and empower members of our learning community to increase interactions with library services

3.5 Provide leadership in the design, development, and implementation of innovative learning models, assessment strategies, and emerging learning technologies that are relevant now and in the future

  • Develop a flexible, competency-based micro-credential learning platform that allows both credit and non-credit learners to develop new skills and personalize their learning pathways
  • Develop a framework and development resources for micro-credentials at Lethbridge College
  • Develop an OER framework that provides the LC learning community with easy access to OER tools, platforms, and resources with the overarching goal of creating more affordable education pathways for students
  • Leverage institutional data to inform teaching and learning service and resource design and development
  • Transform Testing Services and its current profile and activities to reflect a broader, multi-faceted assessment focus rooted in assessment pedagogy, design, and delivery

3.6 Develop systems, processes, and resources that will position Lethbridge College as the leader in experiential learning and flexible delivery

  • Develop a digital learning strategy that focuses on creating a next-generation digital learning environment, while offering students more flexibility in their learning experiences
  • Develop an OER framework that provides the LC learning community with easy access to OER tools, platforms, and resources with the overarching goal of creating more affordable education pathways for students
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4. Emergence & Agility

4.1 Develop and invest in clear sustainability strategies to support ongoing development, innovation, and knowledge building

  • Develop and maintain a strong talent pool of contract media specialists, writers, and instructional designers that are familiar with CTLI standards and processes
  • Ensure all CTLI departments develop and maintain strategies for reskilling, cross-skilling and up-skilling
  • Maintain and create flexible, resilient library services that can quickly be adapted and expanded to meet current, emerging, and future needs

4.2 Develop shared routines across the Centre that promote collaboration and are continuously iterated upon and improved

  • Design and implement processes and documentation for creating appropriate and accessible media and content
  • Develop a suite of project planning tools, engagement frameworks, and templates that will be utilized across the Centre
  • Establish regular centre-wide, team, and one-on-one methods for checking in with one another and providing updates

4.3 Develop, document, implement, and share strategies that contribute to agile and responsive institutional systems and processes

  • Leverage institutional data and service analytics to improve, change, or expand services, tools and resources

4.4 Use a systems-thinking approach to enhance services and make strategic decisions

  • Develop a student hub approach to student services by working collaboratively with Student Affairs, the Registrar’s Office, and IT